Pelt stretcher



Aug. 15, 1933. J, FALLEY' 1,922,671

PELT STRETCHER v Filed Aug. 13, 1950 Patented Aug. 15, 1%33 v UNITED STATES PATENT oFFics FELT STRETCHER v Samuel Julius Falley, Rockford, Ill.

A lah-cation August 13, 1930. Serial No. 475,079

11 Claims. (01. 14921) This invention relates to a new and improved the one end of'the stretcher showing the same form of pelt stretcher. in substantially fully contracted condition;

The value of a pelt depends largely upon Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the same in whether the same has been properly stretched, Substantially fully p ded cfl d on, and because improper stretching means that only 4 is a C oss-section on the line 4-4 of 60 that portion of the pelt which has been prop- Fig- 3. erly stretched is uscablaand the rest is waste h m reference n me re ppli to material. Those engaged in this Work have ar- Corresponding p thrmlghOut t e Views. rived at scales of dimensions for different kll is The de ails 5 and 6 of the stretcher are of pelts, and a pelt that has been properly slidably received. in cl1annelsl1aped guides '7 5 stretched and conforms to the set standard can m n d on the conv r in l n i in l edges f be used practically in its entirety and can, there- 13116 p d 3 member 73119 guides f Command h higher pricrg t an '7 are suitably secured by the web portions thereof improperly stretched pelt. reit stretchers have to U16 W dge 8. The guid & l fi y been made with wedges for expansion and conmetallic, but the @1161 Pa y be 0f Wood, 70

traction thereof, but the objection to these metal, fiber, y other suitable material; w stretches has been that they expand and conw v being most mm ly d. Near the tract uniformly from end to end, that is not head 811d 0f the S etcher the side rails 5 and 6 in accordance with the accepted of diare 001111901666 as by means of hinges 9 and 10 mensions for properly stretched pelts, because in With and Sections 11 and pe ye 75 comparing a large sized pelt with a small sized latter are 111 turn hingedly BC Q at their pet of a certain kind, it is found that while outer ends, as ow at Whilc hinges are the bgdy dimensions are gubgtgntially propor- ShOWll. at 9, l0 and 13, it should be GViClQIllZ that tionately larger, that a stretcher or" the k. c. any form of flexible connection y be dmentioned would be suitable for that portion 01 o e ample, ea spr s cou d e p ovided to so th lt, th h -1 and of th larger pelt is t form resilient flexible connections between the 9,5 mugh lagpge in p cpo tion as the yegt of the rails and the end sections, particularly since the pelt It is, thn' 'efgre he a m Object of angular movement of the end sections with refermy invention to provide a pelt stretcher of the 61166 the Tails 1S V Y Slight, as will p y wedge type so cor noted at the head end th t appear. The outer longitudinal edges of the rails 85 the expansion and contraction of that end i.. v5 and 5 y be Substantially strai ut the so gladuated th t Stretcher m 393- outer longitudinal edges of the sections 11 and 12 t k d of 11 t t t of anyize should be curved, as shown, to conform to the Withill a given of sizes uniformly from Shape the p all the ead end. It will be end to and observed that the inner ends of the sections 11 90 M0113 spgcifigauygtatsd, 1 stretcher of my and 12 are cut off at an angle with reference to invention has thg aids Shaping mils hingQdly or the outer ends of the rails 5 and 6, as indicated otherwise flexibly connected near the head end at This allows a predetermined amount of the stretcher with short rail sections which of angular mOVEment 0 the end sections with in turn are hingedly or otherwise flexibly conreference to the side fails as pl s by com- 9 nected at their outer ends. The end sections Parifion of Figs- 2 d 3. he 6 d al are arranged to have a certain amount of swingedges of end SectlOnS 11 and 13 are l tab y ing movement relative to the side rails so as away lf f m the not to cxoand the head end to the same degree guldes at me end me W 9111511191 as th ,11 of 1 strnfchel. a: the Wedge is am movement ofthe end sections with reference to 109 vance dj spread tn nose the e ch; lacing the.side i fl f also pagvlded k which 3,163 aiianged to come into enga ement graduated and depending upon the distance leewith the end of the Wedge t0 limit um expansion tween the outer end 01" the Wedge and the ends of the stretcher. of the end sectlons' In operation, it should be clear by comparison 105 he invention is illustrated in the accolnpanyf 1 2 and 3 th t, h th 'i'gtchgy 1;,-

i s drawing, 111 W tracted' to its smallest site, as shown in Fig. 2, Figure l is a face view of a pelt stretcher the end sections 11 and 12 provide for a certain made in accordance with my invention; spread of the nose of the pelt, and that when the Fig. 2 is a View on a slightly larger scale of stretcher is expanded to its full extent, as shown no in Fig. 3, the end sections provide for a somewhat greater spread of the nose of the pelt but not in the same proportion as the side rails 5 and 6 are expanded. The dotted lines a and b in Fig. 3 indicate what the spread would be if the parts 11 and 12 were not hin ed to the parts 5 and 6, but were rigid or integral continuations thereof. It can easily be appreciated that if a pelt is properly stretched with the stretcher presenting the full line profile of Fig. 3, that this portion of the pelt would be positively ruined if stretched on a stretcher presenting the dotted line profile. The stretcher is, of course, entered in the pelt through the rear end in the usual way and the pelt contacts with the outside edges of the rails 5 and 6 and the end sections 11 and 12, thereby maintaining the proper shape. The wedge portion is used only to exert pressure to expand the side rails, and, by reason of the special construction of the stretcher as herein described, it is found that equal pressure is exerted from the nose of the pelt to the extreme rear end thereof. It is, of course, evident that stretchers of this kind can be made in different sizes for the stretching of different kinds of pelts. With my invention I am enabled to construct the stretcher so that in each position of the wedge the profile when measured at different points the length of the pelt is found to conform exactly to the scale of dimensions for different sized pelts given as a standard by those engaged in this work. If desired, the guides 7 may be provided with suitable scale markings and legends for cooperation with index marks on the side rails to facilitate adjustment of the stretcher.

"The foregoing description it is believed gives a good understanding of my invention. lhe following claims have been drawn with a view to covering all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim:

1. In a stretcher comprising an elongated body provided with forwardly converging longitudinal edges, the combination of a pair of elongated ide rails alongside and slidable lengthwise of the opposite longitudinal edges of the body member, and a pair of end sections constituting continuations of the side rails, said sections being flexibly connected at one end of each to the latter and being flexibly connected to one another at the other end.

2. In a pelt stretcher, comprising a body member having forwardly converging longitudinal edges, the combination of a pair of side rails alongside and slidable lengthwise of the opposite longitudinal edges of said body member, the same having the outer longitudinal edges thereof substantially straight, and a pair of end sections having the outer longitudinal edges thereof curved and arranged in alignment with the outer longitudinal edges of the side rails, the end sections constituting continuations of the side rails, said sections being flexibly connected at the rear end thereof with the side rails and having their forward ends flexibly connected together.

3. In a stretcher of the character described comprising wedge means for expanding the stretcher, the combination of a pair of opposed elongated work engaging members directly engaged by said wedge means so as to be stretched thereby, and a pair of opposed end members also adapted to engage the work, said end members being movably connected with each other and with the other work engaging members so that the end members are spread proportionately in the spreading of the other members but not to the same extent.

4. In a pelt stretcher comprising wedge means for expanding the stretcher, the combination of a pair of opposed elongated pelt engaging members directly engaged by the wedge means so as to be spread thereby in direct proportion to the operation of said wedge means, said members being adapted to stretch the body portion of a pelt, and a pair of opposed end members for engagement with the head portion of a pelt and movably connected with each other and with the other work engaging members so that the end members are spread proportionately in the spreading of the other members but not to the same extent.

5. In a stretcher of the character described, comprising an elongated body member, the opposite longitudinal edges of said body member converging forwardly, the combination or" a side rail and an end section disposed in end to end relation at each side of the body member and slidable lengthwise of the longitudinal edges thereof, the side rails maintaining a fixedangular relation determined by the taper of the body memoer, and the end sections being arranged to change their angular relation depending on the position of the side rails relative to the body member, said end sections being flexibly connected with each other and with the ends of the side rails for endwise movement therewith and angular movement relative thereto, the side rails serving by f ctional contact with the body member to Xi'iitil'li-ktlli adjusted position of the side rails and end sections.

6. In a pelt stretcher comprising an elongated body member having forwardly converging longitudinal edges, the combination of side rails alongside and slidable lengthwise of the longitudinal of body member, head end sections disposed end to end with the side rails with the outer longitudinal edges thereof substantially in alignment with the outer longitudinal edges of the side rails and with the ends of said sections reaching beyond the end of said body member, means providing pivotal connections between each side rail and the end section, the end sections having freedom for a certain amount of angular movement thereof relative to the side rails about the aforesaid pivots, and means providing a flexible connection between the outer ends of said sections, the side rails serving by frictional contact with the body member to maintain adjusted position of the side rails and head end sections.

'7. In a pelt stretcher, comprising a body mem ber having forwar ly converging longitudinal edges, the combination of a pair of side rails alongside and slidable lengthwise of said longitudinal edges and adapted mainly for stretching the body portion of a pelt, and a separate stretching means for the head portion. of the pelt, the same enclosing the small end of saidbody member, so that the pelt engages only it and the side rails, said means being flexibly connected with the ends of said rails to open and close as the rails are moved forwardly and rearwardly respectively, said means being constructed to remain in edge to edge alignment with the side rails in different positions of adjustment.

8. In a pelt stretcher, comprising a body member having forwardly converging longitudinal edges, the combination of a pair of side rails alongside and slidable lengthwise of said longitudinal edges, the outer longitudinal edges of said rails being substantially straight, and stretcher means providing a curved outline for stretching the head end of a pelt, the same en closing the small end of said body member so that the pelt engages only said means and the side rails, said stretcher means having flexible connection with the ends of said rails in edge to edge alignment therewith.

9. In a pelt stretcher, comprising a body member having forwardly converging longitudinal edges, the combination of a pair of side rails alongside and slidable lengthwise of said longitudinal edges from a position spaced from the small end of said body member to a position extending beyond said end, separate end pieces hingedly connected with the ends of said rails for a slight amount of angular movement relative thereto, the same having clearance relative to the small end of said body member for such .movement, and a hinge connection between said pieces beyond the small end of said body member.

10., A structure as set forth in claim 9 wherein at least one of said end pieces has a shoulder on the inner longitudinal edge thereof for engagement with the small end of said body member to limit the adjustment of said stretcher.

11. In a pelt stretcher, comprising a wedge member for spreading the stretcher, the combination with body stretching side rails directly engaged by the wedge member, and head stretching end members, movable means interconnecting the side rails and end members whereby the end members are simultaneously given a graduated adjustment in the adjustment of said side rails by said wedge member.

SAMUEL JULIUS FALLEY. 

